Ohio theme park says it topped shaved-heads record

Ohio theme park says it topped shaved-heads record

Sunday, August 3, 2014

MASON, Ohio (AP) — With wide grins and a few apprehensive looks, more than 200 people lost their hair Friday at an amusement park as they worked to break the Guinness record for most heads shaved simultaneously.

Hair littered the ground at Kings Island as 213 people had their heads shaved at part of the park's Kicks Cancer campaign to raise awareness and money for the fight against cancer. The current record of 182 heads shaved simultaneously was achieved by a cancer charity in Canberra, Australia, on March 29, Guinness World Records says.

Stylists from Great Clips salons around the state did the shaving at the park north of Cincinnati as males and females of all ages sacrificed their tresses. For some, there were personal motivations as well.

Eric Gagliano and his 11-year-old son, Ben, said they especially wanted to participate because Ben's grandmother is fighting brain cancer.

"We just felt this was something we needed to do for my mother-in-law, and we also have a good friend who lost a child to brain cancer," said Eric Gagliano, 42, of Beavercreek, near Dayton. "I think everyone knows someone who has been touched by cancer."

Ben, who said he never had his head shaved before, said he would probably do it again to help others. But when his dad jokingly talked of shaving the rest of the stubble from his son's newly shorn head for a completely bald look, Ben's response was a grinning, but emphatic, "No way."

Stylist Samantha House, who cut Ben's hair, also had a special motivation. She said her grandmother died of cancer.

"I was just so happy to be able to be a part of this," said House, 29, of South Lebanon.

A Guinness spokeswoman said Friday that it will take about six to eight weeks to certify the park's claim.